South Rim Unit: Eagle Peak Preserve
40 acre Portal Acquisition

Background: The South Rim Conservation Initiative was setup to protect the incredible South Rim of the Upper San Diego River Gorge. It is an largely intact area of oak woodlands, grasslands and much more. Unfortunately, recently properties have been at risk of being sold for new buildings and other construction which would devastate this scenic and ecological treasure.

The Initiative seeks to acquire any privately owned open space properties before they are developed. The area is an "island" surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest. By conserving these lands, a conservation bridge between the River Park Foundation's Bathtub Creek Preserve ( 551 acres) and our Eagle Peak Ranch along Temescal Creek (454 acres) will be established, and most importantly, these lands will be placed in permanent conservation.

This conservation bridge protects wildlife movement of mountain lion, deer, bobcat, badger and fox. It has key Engelmann and live oak woodlands and natural springs which feed into the San Diego River.
It is a place of immense beauty with seasonal waterfalls.

Occasionally parcels are put up for sale and marketed as potential sites to build houses. And this is why we need to act!

With so many small parcels, the development of just one could greatly impact the biological, scenic and watershed values of this important area.

Portal Property Update

5/15/2018
Less than $3800 left to raise. All necessary steps have now been completed, and so all that needs to be done is to raise the remaining funds!
Your donation of $10, $20 or whatever is meaningful to is important! Together we can conserve this property!

Details:
With 6 parcels totalling about 40 acres this is a very significant piece of our conservation strategy.

Our goal is simple, to leave the property in its wonderful, open space condition - mostly Engelmann oak woodland with native grassland and other habitats. An old roadbed crosses the property which could be used as a hiking and riding trail. From this property a trail already exists to connect to the Eagle Peak Ranch. After we purchase it, we will get to know the property, understand and map wildlife and any other sensitive resources and open it up for the public to enjoy.

In 2017, after talking with the owner we launched a fundraising effort and raised more than $12,000 for a deposit and other upfront expenses. Thank you so much if you were one of the donors to this early effort. With funds in hand we continued discussions with the owner and finally, after a great deal of effort, on March 16, 2018, the owner signed the purchase agreement.

The Total Project Costs is projected to be $159,500.

Thank you to the:

The Hervey Family Fund at The San Diego Foundation
The Heller Foundation of San Diego

Your wonderful grants are a fantastic financial foundation to conserve this open space.

Now, we need you to join in to raise the remaining funds needed. Our tremendous thanks if you have already donated.

Any additional funds raised in excess of those needed will be applied first to the Eagle Peak Preserve Endowment Fund for future property insurances and other expenses (up to $3111.46) and then to a future acquisition. Thank you!

Recently Completed Project(s):

Badger Ridge Parcel (1.3 acres):
The property fills a gap between the 40 acre property identified above and other open space parcels we already have acquired and conserved. We completed the acquisition on January 8, 2018. Our tremendous thanks to all the wonderful supporters who responded to this unanticipated opportunity. Thank you!

13 acre South Rim Small Parcels:6 individual parcels where successfully acquired. These small parcels were a key element to our strategy. They are near and in one case adjacent to the recent 97 acre Gastil acquisition.

Keystone Property:
Thanks to all the incredible donors who responded to our urgent request, the funds needed to acquire this property were raised in just two days! The acquisition has been completed, and the property is now conserved!

Why Conserve the South Rim?

Background:
The Upper San Diego River has been called one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the entire country! It is a very special place, and you can help protect it.

We have found a isolated collection of privately owned properties surrounded by the Cleveland National Forest. There are just a few houses that have been built in the area, but most of it remains open and relatively undisturbed. We seek to keep it that way.

As resources allow, we contact landowners to see if they are interested in selling or donating their land to our organization. In some cases, a donation makes the most sense.

We have worked with partners such as the National Forest Service, County of San Diego, San Diego Mountain Biking Association, Sierra Club and others to also establish a multi-use trail in the area as the South Rim extension to the regional San Diego River Trail. We also have the potential to extend this trail to other areas.

We do not have an good estimate on the cost of completing this project. For planning purposes, it requires $1000 to accept a donation for title insurance and the cost of transferring the property. For purchases, we anticipate the value to be $1500 - $3000 per acre or higher (more for small legal parcels). As any agreements are reached with landowners, we will post the details.

We will continue this effort with the goal of conserving as much of this area as possible.

Funding Wish List:

1. Grow our Eagle Peak Preserve Endowment Fundat The San Diego Foundation
We have established an endowment at The San Diego Foundation to support the operations and maintenance of Eagle Peak Preserve in perpetuity. If we are able to grow the fund, we will be able to better care for the lands acquired. Currently the Fund is helping to offset expenses such as liability insurance and annual taxes.

You can donate directly to the Fund at The San Diego Foundation (scroll to San Diego River Park Foundation Eagle Peak Preserve Endowment Fund) Click Here

This is a wonderful planned gift opportunity. This is something that can be placed in a will or be named as the beneficiary of an insurance policy, IRA or Trust. Only the investment returns on your gift are used so that your gift will be a legacy to benefit future generations. Please contact Rob Hutsel, President and CEO, at 619-297-7380 to discuss how you would like to make a lasting impact.

2. Maintain an Acquisition Fund back of at least $20,000With each land acquisition we deplete our acquisition fund. Ideally, we have at least $20,000 in the fund at all times so that we can respond to opportunities to secure the ability to acquire high priority properties if any become available. Often these properties will go on the open market to be sold for development of residential structures. Therefore, we have limited time to raise the funds needed. If we have funds available, we can enter into negotiations immediately to secure the right to purchase the property. Of course, with many of our acquisitions at $100,000 or more, additional funds are appreciated, too!

One terrific way to support this fund is to enroll in automatic monthly gifts. Starting at just $8 per month, you can make a real difference. You can stop at anytime. By signing up you will become a member of our Wildlife Club. Details
Donations can be made online, over the phone or by check. Remember, SDRPF is a 501c3 so your gift is tax deductible as allowed by law.
EIN 01-0565671. For the Acquisition Fund, make a secure donation with PayPal by clicking below and selecting "South Rim.".

Donor Appreciation for Acquisition Fund
$10 - $99: Receive an invitation to a future dedication open house and be listed on this website (if desired).

$100 - $499: Receive a set of commemorative notecards and above.

$500 - $999: Donor Appreciation Bench. You, your family, business or group will be recognized on a bench with other supporters at Eagle Peak Ranch! You will be invited to a future dedication open house and listed on the website (if desired) for your generous gift to the Acquisition Fund..

$1000 - $4999: Be recognized on the property dedication sign plus on the website (if desired) and open house invitation. Also you will be invited to join or extend your "membership" in the exclusive Conservation Society. This sign will be located somewhere within Eagle Peak Preserve in a place which is easily accessible by vehicle. In some cases properties are very remote, and we prefered to centrally locate signs so that everyone can see them.

$5000+: Receive prominent recognition on the preserve dedication sign plus website (if desired) and open house invitation. Also you will be invited to join our extend your "membership" in the exclusive Conservation Society. For larger gifts, please contact us so that we can discuss appreciation opportunities.

Other Current Projects

We have successfully completed the acquisition all but one remaining privately owned property in our El Cajon Mountain Conservation Area! Thank you to all that have joined the effort to save El Cap!

We continue to try to get the owners interest in selling this property. If you are interested in supporting a future acquisition, if one can be agreed to, please let us know. We may need to act quickly, and if we have your contact information we can contact you. .

Did you know recently there were recently wild rainbow trout in San Diego County on Boulder Creek? You can help us restore and protect a cold-water stream where the trout were found living year-round. In 2013 we completed our second acquisition in this project area. We are working to restore Boulder Creek and create a field station for research and learning. If you are interested in learning more or supporting this effort, please contact Sarah Hutmacher, Associate Director, at sarah@sandiegoriver.org or 619-297-7380.

Any funds received above our goal were put into our Acquisition Fund for the 40 acre Portal Project. Thank you!
* we sincerely apologize for any errors, please let us know so we can correct it.
Listing reflects total value in cases of multiple gifts.

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